The farm and farmhouse

About Me

Hi! Im a wife in my mid twenties, living on a farm in the Midwest. Just trying to make ends meet and save for our future as we remodel our old farmhouse, and stay out of debt.
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As of March 2019

Scary News

Well I got the dogs shots. They ended up not being able to get the 3 year, since this is their first rabies shot, and they need the smaller dosage once to work as a booster.

Now for the bad news.

Juno the one year old puppy tested positive for heartworms. I don't even know how that is possible. 6 months ago would have been winter, which means she must have caught it when she was a tiny little puppy.

The vet says it is going to cost a minimum of $500. But the main problem is that she needs to be kept calm and quiet for up to 6 weeks after treatment. Yeah right. If she even sees you she is jumping up and down, running in circles, barking, etc. Walking on a leash is no better. She does not hold still ever. Not for petting, not for brushing. She is a huge bundle of energy.

I have no idea how it is going to be possible to get her down. I'm guessing I will have to purchase a crate that is too short for her to jump. And she is probably going to have to be sedated for a month. I'll talk to the vet about options.

So upset. We still have a $1,000 check coming soon. So I will be using that for vet bills, and either the fence or paying for the goats I reserved.

I'm so sorry Juno has a serious illness. I think I read heart-worm only results from a mosquito bite from an infected mosquito. Did your pup show any symptoms? Did the vet diagnose from a blood test? I presume Juno will need to be restricted to a kennel while in the house as he's not a 'house dog.' Can you borrow a large kennel short term?

http://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/exltra-large-wire-kennel/600007494361

Buying a used kennel from Facebook sell page or re-seller could be an option. They are useful for transporting animals

When I was a kid, we had both our dogs tested for heartworms and the younger, larger one tested positive. (boxer) He went through the treatment fine, but not too much later, our other dog died - of heartworms. We've always believed that the test results must have gotten mixed up and the wrong dog was treated.

Jenn that thought has crossed my mind more than once. I even asked the vet, which he denied. But while I was there they did mix up the ages on the paperwork, so I wouldn't put it past them to mix up the names too. Both dogs look a lot alike, and their names are similar.

Husband and I have decided to retest her before treatment starts, just to make sure. If she happens to come back negative, we will retest the other dog.

Sorry to hear! Re-testing is a good idea.
You can also request sedation medication to help keep her calmmed down. I know not ideal to keep your dog drugged up, but you gotta do what you gotta do.
Good thing is you caught this early.